


Fragile World

by deflectrunes



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: ABANDONED WORK (for now), Alec blushes a lot, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, M/M, Malec, Mild Sexual Content, My first fic, alec has a motorcycle, jimon, lots of fluff, magnus and maia brotp, magnus can sing, maia and alec brotp, mizzy, nobody is straight, painter!alec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-09 00:39:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11658000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deflectrunes/pseuds/deflectrunes
Summary: Magnus Bane had a habit of making spontaneous decisions.When he was eighteen, he secretly purchased a plane ticket to Los Angeles, bringing with him only a backpack and a dream, leaving his friends and family back in Virginia with nothing more than a note assuring them that he was safe.When he was twenty-two, he invited his girlfriend-at-the-time Camille to move in with him after only three weeks of dating, believing that he was in love.Now, at twenty-five, he was packing his bags yet again after coming to the emotional conclusion that he needed to start life over, flying across the country to live with his lifelong friend Maia and her very attractive artist roommate.Magnus had given up on his dreams in Los Angeles, but maybe, in New York City, he would find a new one. Whether that dream be a person or not, Magnus couldn't say.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to Abi (@runechesters on Instagram) for being an absolute angel and putting up with me freaking out over this story. I love you!! 
> 
> Title is from Fragile World by Alberto Rosende (a song i've listened to approximately 27436 times since it came out). Title may change, warning you in advance!
> 
> *All grammatical errors and inaccuracies are to be blamed on me! I use google for research while writing, so I apologize if anything is written wrong!

* * *

  
Magnus tapped his foot impatiently as he stood in front of a slow-moving conveyor belt, waiting amongst a sea of travelers for his suitcase. He let out a huff of frustration as yet another shoulder knocked into him, making him stumble into a woman who was standing next to him.

"Hey!" The woman turned, pushing her sunglasses into her hair before putting her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at him. "Watch where you're going!"

Magnus barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Everything about the woman in front of him was artificial; her face, her hair, even her breasts. Her eyeshadow was almost the same color as Magnus' navy blue top and was horribly unblended. She was wearing far too much foundation that was nowhere near her skin tone. Maybe he should complete his good deed for the day and give her some makeup tips.

Looking past the woman and catching sight of his suitcase approaching on the carousel, Magnus simply raised a choice finger at her before pushing his way through the crowd to claim his bag.

He tugged his suitcase off of the line and held it up, using it as a makeshift shield as he forced his way through the swarm of people rushing to collect their own belongings. Nobody made an effort to move out of his way, so Magnus had to resort to physically pushing people to the side with the edges of his hot pink suitcase to clear a path for himself.

He found his way to a less congested area of the airport, which took him almost twenty minutes to do. August was a busy month for traveling, he supposed. He'd barely been able to find an available ticket to New York on such short notice. Magnus regretted opting for the cheapest ticket he could get his hands on after finding himself stuck in the middle seat between a grumbly, large old man and a mother with a child who cried for the majority of the seven-hour flight in economy-class. The flight was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus found a bench with no occupants. He pulled the extending handle out of the top of his suitcase, gripped it tight, and tugged it behind him as he bee-lined for the seat.

He quickly slid onto the bench, throwing his suitcase up onto the other side, greedily taking up the entire seat for himself. He smirked to himself in victory as he watched the disappointed faces of a group of businessmen disappear in search of a different seat.

He pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his tight jeans - which he didn't regret wearing on the long, tight plane ride at all; they may be uncomfortable but they did wonders for his ass - and crossed his left leg over his right, relaxing against the back of the bench as he unlocked his phone, which was swarmed with hours of missed notifications.

Pulling up his and Maia's string of messages, Magnus shot his best friend a text to let her know that he landed. She replied almost instantly, asking where he was sitting and assuring him that she'd be there to pick him up soon.

He was in the middle of typing another message to Maia when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Excuse me, sir," Magnus looked up, and was faced with a small woman. He had to guess that she was around seventy years old, but he wouldn't ask, because she had a purse that looked quite heavy draped over her shoulder and Magnus would rather not know what it felt like to be smacked with it. "Would you mind if I sit here while I wait for my husband?"

The woman had a sweet voice and a warm smile. Magnus knew just by looking at her that she wouldn't get angry if he refused, but he wasn't an asshole, so he moved his suitcase to the floor and patted the seat next to him, giving the woman an inviting smile.

She slowly lowered herself down onto the bench, letting out a sigh of relief as the pressure was taken off of her feet.

"Thank you, dear," she turned to face him, removing her purse from her shoulder and setting it in her lap before extending a pale, wrinkly hand towards him. "I'm Ruth."

Magnus set down his phone and reached his own tanned, ring-adorned hand out, taking her hand into his. He raised his eyebrows at Ruth's firm grip as they shook hands, surprised that such a tiny woman possessed such strength.

"Magnus." He replied with a friendly grin.

"Where are you from?" She asked once they broke apart.

Magnus usually despised small-talk, especially in situations like this, where he would most likely never see the person again. But Ruth was sweet, and a little casual conversation in an airport had never killed anyone, right?

"Originally? Virginia. Moved to Los Angeles a few years ago, and now..." Magnus trailed off, glancing above Ruth's head at a sign that said _Welcome To The Big Apple!_ in large, bold letters. "I'm moving here."

"Quite an eventful life for someone so young," she commented. "I'm sure you'll adore New York. My husband and I have lived here for forty-six years, and let me tell you, this place keeps me feeling young." She laughed, and the sound was both beautiful and contagious. Magnus found himself genuinely happy for the first time in a while.

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes later, Magnus had his head thrown back, clutching his stomach which was cramping from how hard he was laughing. Ruth was great company; she had a wonderful sense of humor and a complete lack of a verbal filter.

She hummed in appreciation as a tall man walked by, muscled arms on display in a t-shirt, dark skin glowing in the rays of sun that peeked in through the skylight above them. "I definitely wouldn't mind a piece of him for breakfast." She whistled, eyeing the man until he disappeared into the crowd.

"Me either," Magnus said shamelessly. "But he'd never go for me. He looks like the physical embodiment of the word _heterosexual_."

"Don't sell yourself short," she poked him in the arm. "You're quite a handsome young man. With your looks and your charm, I guarantee you could make anyone swing for your team." She winked, and Magnus chuckled.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Magnus' head shot up when he heard the familiar voice. The voice that, for the past seven years, he'd only heard over the phone and through video-calls. Standing up so quickly that he almost tripped, Magnus pulled Maia into a bone-crushing hug, burying his nose into her curly, dark hair. Maia laughed joyously, music to Magnus' ears, hugging him back with equal enthusiasm.

"Is this lovely lady your girlfriend?"

Magnus pulled back from the embrace and turned to look at Ruth, who was smirking at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

"I'm Maia, just his friend." Maia corrected, not unkindly.

"Maybe you should do something to change that, missy. He's a real catch." Ruth winked.

"He is." Maia agreed, elbowing Magnus in the side when he cooed and held a hand to his heart.

"Rude." He mumbled, cupping a hand over his aching ribs.

"Ruthie?" Magnus heard a man call, and Ruth carefully stood, slinging her purse back over her shoulder.

"That's my husband. It was lovely meeting you, Magnus." She tugged Magnus into a hug without warning, but he accepted it gratefully, wrapping his arms around her delicate frame. She kissed his cheek when they parted. "And you as well, Maia. You are a beautiful young woman." Ruth repeated the same ritual with Maia, embracing her in her arms and kissing her cheek.

With a final wave, Ruth made her way towards her husband. They linked arms and disappeared into the sea of people.

"I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be rude." Magnus licked his fingers and scrubbed his cheek, knowing that there would surely be a stain left behind from Ruth's ruby-painted lips.

"Most of them are," Maia shrugged, copying his movements and cleaning off her own cheek. "Just wait until you try to go shopping or out to eat. Politeness isn't in people's vocabulary here."

"Speaking of eating..." The past fifteen hours had been hectic, what with deciding very spontaneously that he would accept Maia's offer for him to move across the country to live with her and her roommate, and Magnus' stomach cramped with hunger. "That McDonalds over there is calling my name." Magnus dramatically rubbed his stomach.

"Your first meal in New York City is _not_ going to be at an airport McDonalds," Maia sounded almost offended, brown eyes wide with disapproval. "C'mon, I know a place." She outstretched her hand toward him.

Magnus eyed Maia's hand. This was it; after months of feeling hopeless, months of being trapped in the dark, believing that there was nothing he could do to ever find true happiness, this was his invitation to forget his past and start over.

Raising his eyes, Magnus was met with his best friend's blinding smile. He reached out to grab the handle of his luggage, placed his other hand in Maia's, and prepared himself to step out into the city, out into his new life.

* * *

 

After a short taxi ride into the heart of the city, Magnus found himself sitting in a booth across from Maia in a rustic-style diner, suitcase tucked away under the table. The walls were painted dark green and were covered with odd items such as license plates from every state in the country, autographed sports-shirts, a few colorless photographs, and street signs of varying sizes and purposes.

He chewed on a french fry, burning his tongue in the process, but the flavor made Magnus come close to letting out a rather inappropriate moan. _Definitely better than McDonalds_ , he thought, swallowing and picking up another fry despite the fact that they were still piping hot.

"So, when am I going to meet this girlfriend that you haven't stopped talking about during our calls for the past ten months?" Magnus asked through a bite of food, causing Maia to glare at him disapprovingly. But her lips turned up into a grin as she answered him.

"Izzy," Maia replied, affection audible in her voice. "You'll meet her soon enough. She's at the apartment all the time, either to see me or Alec."

"Alec is the roommate, right?" Magnus wondered out loud, stirring his iced tea with his straw before taking a sip.

Maia hummed in confirmation. "And one of Izzy's older brothers. We met about four years ago, when I first moved here. He's actually the one who introduced me to her."

"Falling in love with your friend's sister?" Magnus clicked his tongue in feigned disapproval. "How cliche of you, darling."

Maia narrowed her eyes before flinging one of her fries at him. Magnus readied a fry in his own hand to fire back, but decided against throwing it last second. The atmosphere of the diner was very laid back; he didn't think that starting a food fight was a good decision.

Maia wiggled her eyebrows at him victoriously. "I'll get you next time, mark my words." Magnus said seriously, and they both broke out into a fit of giggles.

They spent almost two hours at the diner, ordering drinks after they finished their meals and catching up. Maia didn't ask about L.A., and Magnus was relieved. He did, however, catch a few pitying looks out of the corner of his eye when he assumed Maia thought he wasn't looking.

Maia didn't know all of the details, but Magnus had told her enough over the past few months for her to understand the place he was in. He'd called her on multiple occasions close to tears, not knowing who else he could talk to. He called her when yet another one of his songs was determined not good enough to be released, he called her when he'd had a fallout with Camille, and he'd called her just yesterday, desperate to get out of L.A. and leave behind the failure he'd experienced there.

She'd calmed him down every time, listening to him rant for as long as he needed, then offering advice. Maia was truly a gift sent from the Gods.

"Are you about ready to get out of here?" Maia asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "The apartment is right around the corner. We can walk, if you don't mind carrying your suitcase, that is."

"Yeah," Magnus nodded, reaching for the bill. But Maia's hand shot out, grabbing the bill before he could take it.

"Hey!" Magnus protested, reaching across the table, trying to retrieve the slip of paper.

"I'm paying. You need to save your money as much as possible until you find a job," Maia argued sternly. "Plus, you're giving me two hundred bucks next week to put toward this month's rent. You may be my best friend, but you will _not_ be freeloading off of me and Alec."

There was no point in arguing with Maia. After knowing her for twelve years, Magnus had learned that Maia was always right, and doubting that would leave you with a headache or a black eye.

"Fine," Magnus pouted, crossing his arms over his chest with a defeated huff as Maia pulled thirty dollars out of her wallet. "But as soon as I get a job, I'm taking you out for lunch."

"I'm holding you to that." The corner of Maia's lips turned up as she signed the bottom of the bill. She slid the paper and the cash to the end of the table, finishing off her water before sliding out of the booth.

Magnus lugged his suitcase out from under the table and pulled the handle up, rolling it behind him as they walked out of the diner.

* * *

 

"That guy was totally hitting on you!" Maia exclaimed once the elevator door closed. She pressed the button to take them to the ninth floor, then turned to Magnus, a shit-eating grin spread across her face.

"He was _not_ hitting on me." Magnus deadpanned, leaning against the wall, phone in one hand, the other on his hip.

"He was too! He did that cliche thing in the lobby where he leaned against the wall and totally invaded your personal space. He asked how he'd never seen you around before."

"He was probably wondering how the hell he could have missed me if I did live here. I'm not very _subtle_ , in case you couldn't tell." Magnus took his hand off his hip and gestured at his outfit; the sparkly navy blue top that was almost all the way unbuttoned, the multiple necklaces filling the exposed skin of his chest, and the tight black pants he'd squeezed into.

The elevator beeped before it's doors opened, and Magnus didn't waste any time exiting the small space.

"That's not at all what he was wondering, and you know it," Maia persisted, leading Magnus down the hall and pulling her keys out of her bag. "He offered to carry your suitcase up!"

"He was just being friendly." Magnus said dismissively. Truth was, he clearly saw that the man from the lobby was flirting with him. The man was fairly attractive - tall with dark skin and full lips - but Magnus wasn't going to jump at the first person who showed interest in him. He'd made that mistake once, when he was young and desperate, and he'd rather not live that entire situation again when he was trying to leave his past behind.

"And, you know, when he shamelessly stared at your ass and licked his lips, that was just his way of indirectly asking you to be his best friend, right?" Maia stopped in front of a black door, sorting through the keys on her keychain before shoving the correct key into the lock.

Magnus glared at her, but she gave a simple, innocent shrug of her shoulders before turning the knob and pushing the door open.

"Welcome home." Maia placed a hand on his arm, looking up at him, clearly waiting for his reaction.

The apartment was beautiful. It was more spacious than he'd imagined; there was a large kitchen equipped with stainless steel appliances and shining marble countertops, sleek black couches and a chair spread around a glass coffee table and a television. The windows were larger than life, scattered around the apartment, spanning floor to ceiling, the maroon curtains pulled back to let in the warm light of the sunset. Beautiful paintings adorned the light gray walls, giving the otherwise neutral apartment a splash of color.

It was a rather significant step up from Magnus' old, cheap apartment back in California.

"It's... _wow_ ," Magnus gaped, mouth hung open in awe.

Maia grinned, taking off her shoes and nudging them to the side with her feet, tossing her bag carelessly onto the couch. "Being roommates with an artist has its perks," she craned her neck to the side, and Magnus followed her gaze to the closed glass doors of the balcony. "Looks like the artist isn't home yet, though."

"Does _the artist_ live on the balcony?" Magnus raised an eyebrow, following Maia as she began to walk toward the hallway.

"He basically does," Maia groaned, but there was fondness in her voice. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, peeking inside before shutting it again. Magnus assumed that was Alec's room, and Maia was checking to see if he was inside. "Alec does his best work while he's out there. He'll stay out there all night if I don't go out at some point to drag him to bed. Even then, he'll try to sneak back outside once he thinks I'm asleep."

Magnus chucked to himself. He used to do the same exact thing, years ago when he was just starting to record songs in Camille's father's studio. He'd stay in the recording booth from the time the sun set to when it rose over the horizon the next morning, intent on perfecting every last note.

He'd worked himself past his limit, suffering from countless sore throats and endless disappointments when none of his songs were ever even released.

"You'll see what I mean soon," Maia turned, opening the door opposite of Alec's and leading Magnus inside. "Don't be surprised if you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of me dragging his ass inside."

"Seems like your stubbornness rubbed of on him," Magnus teased, effortlessly lugging his heavy suitcase up onto the bed.

"Haha," she said humorlessly before hopping onto the edge of the bed, propping herself up on her forearms as she leaned back, swinging her legs back and forth.

Magnus leaned against the mattress next to where his friend was sitting, eyes traveling around the room. It was simple, clearly serving as a guest bedroom before Maia had offered it to him. The only real color in the room was the shimmering gold comforter that covered his bed, looking vibrant against the plain white walls. There was a brown leather love seat tucked into the corner of the room near the closet, a small wooden table situated next to it, holding a lamp, and there was a door pushed open slightly so that Magnus could see the tile floors of his own small bathroom.

"It's not a lot, I know," Maia began, guilt making her speak quickly. "It's kind of small, it looks like a prison cell, the view out the window is just a brick wall, you'll probably get claustrophobic in here-"

" _Maia_ ," Magnus placed his hand over his friend's, watching as she visibly calmed down. "It's perfect."

She relaxed, meeting Magnus' brown eyes, her own shining with joy. "I missed you." Maia said softly, a grin on her lips, nose scrunched up adorably.

"How could you not?" He smirked, laughing as Maia rolled her eyes and pulling her into a tight, warm hug.

New York was still unfamiliar; Magnus was still uneasy on his feet, questioning whether this whole thing would actually work out, unsure if he would be able to escape the haunting memories of his past in L.A. and start his whole life over. But one thing that he knew for sure was that nothing could tear him apart from his best friend.

* * *

 

Magnus downed the remaining contents of his wine glass, letting out a satisfied sigh as he set the glass back down on the counter, grabbing the bottle and filling the glass again.

They weren't drunk, _per se_ , just pleasantly tipsy. After Magnus had finished unpacking, Maia had declared that the night was still young, and had produced a bottle of wine, biting her lip with a smirk. Magnus was exhausted from his day of traveling, but he would never pass up the opportunity to drink.

That was how he found himself sitting at the bar in the kitchen, the clock nearing eleven, on his third glass of a tasty red wine, laughing with his entire body as Maia showed him ridiculously goofy videos of her and her girlfriend.

"Your woman has an impeccable sense of style," Magnus pointed out as Maia played a video, which featured Isabelle Lightwood - wearing a floral sundress, dark hair cascading in waves past her shoulders - posing in front of a colorful public garden for pictures. Isabelle's eyes widened as she realized that Maia had been taking a video rather than photos, and she sprinted towards her, surprisingly fast in her five-inch wedges. The video became shaky as Isabelle attempted to pry the phone out of Maia's hands, crying out in protest.

The video ended with Maia hiding the phone behind her back and capturing Isabelle's lips in her own, and when they parted, Magnus could sense the love between them as they gazed at each other with the affection of an old couple.

"Remind me why you two aren't married yet?" Magnus watched as Maia swiped her phone, playing another video. This one was only a few seconds long, taken a few months ago during the girls' vacation to the beach. Isabelle was recording, camera following Maia as she happily sprinted toward the ocean in search of seashells. Isabelle's laugher could be heard in the background before she turned the phone toward herself, making a kissy-face as the video ended.

"We're both really young. I mean, she's only twenty-two, I'm only twenty-three, we have all the time in the world. Don't get me wrong, I do want to marry her, it's just...we're not in any kind of rush to tie the knot. We don't need marriage to understand the depth of our love for each other." Maia explained, grinning fondly as she scrolled past a photo of Isabelle kissing her cheek, Maia holding the camera as the two girls sat cuddled on the black couch that Magnus recognized from the living room.

"You're a sappy drunk." Magnus teased, refilling his wine glass.

"I'm not sappy _or_ drunk," she argued, but the way that she was still smiling at her phone proved otherwise.

Magnus looked over Maia's shoulder as she showed him another round of videos and pictures. Maia looked the most carefree he'd ever seen her. He made a mental note to personally thank Isabelle for making his best friend so happy.

He was so lost in Maia's phone that he barely registered the sound of the front door unlocking.

"Oh...hey," Magnus heard a deep voice behind him, and when he turned to find its source, his breath caught in his throat.

He'd seen Alec before, in photographs or sometimes in the background of Maia's video calls, but nothing could have prepared him too see Alec in person. He was tall, long legs clad in dark jeans. He wore a leather jacket over a dark green shirt, and Magnus found himself wondering if Alec rode a motorcycle. He looked the part, even with the pink paint stain on his cheek, messy dark hair looking as if it had just been released from the enclosure of a helmet.

"Am I dead?" Magnus asked seriously, turning back toward Maia. "Did I get alcohol poisoning or something and die? Why is there an angel standing in your doorway?" He whispered his last sentence, or so he thought. In actuality, he'd spoke at full volume.

Maia set her phone down, ignoring Magnus in favor of hopping off of her stool and walking toward Alec with heavy steps.

"You said you'd be home by nine-thirty. Care to explain why you're almost two hours late?" She had her hands on her hips, looking up at Alec with her eyes narrowed.

Magnus had to admit that the confrontation looked a bit funny. Maia was almost a foot shorter than Alec, small frame making her look like a child compared to the larger man. Alec seemed intimidated, however, gulping as Maia took another step closer. Alec looked like a terrified deer as the wolf that was Maia tapped her foot, waiting for an answer.

"Clary needed my help finishing the banner for Simon's gig," Alec explained, and Magnus tilted his head. He recognized those names; Maia talked about them frequently over text and calls. If he remembered correctly, Clary was an artist, just like Alec, and she was in her last year at the Brooklyn Academy of Art. Simon was her best friend, and Magnus remembered Maia telling him that Simon was dating her girlfriend's adoptive brother, whom Magnus couldn't seem to remember the name of.

"Nice try, Lightwood, but I know that you finished that banner days ago. I have the picture on my phone to prove it." Maia crossed her arms over her chest.

Alec held his hands up defensively, as if he was afraid that Maia would lunge for him. "You know Simon. He changed the band name, _again_."

Maia seemed to consider this for a second, and Magnus could see her body relax, arms falling to her sides. "You could have at least sent me a text," she mumbled, but the corners of her lips tugged upwards into a grin.

"Sorry _mom_ , didn't mean to worry you," Alec teased, ruffling Maia's hair. A slap echoed in the apartment, and Alec let out a cry, rubbing his bicep.

Magnus watched the two interact, his elbow on the counter, resting his cheek in his hand with a fond expression on his face. He'd always felt guilty about leaving Maia in Virginia when he snuck to L.A., even if they'd still talked almost every day, so he was glad that she'd found a group of people who loved her in New York. Alec was clearly kindhearted, treating Maia more like a little sister than a friend, and Magnus didn't think he could have picked anyone better for Maia to live with.

"Oh!" Maia suddenly exclaimed, making Magnus jump in his seat. She grabbed Alec's arm and tugged him toward the kitchen, stopping in front of where Magnus sat at the counter. "This is the friend that I was telling you about, remember? The one who's gonna live with us."

Alec nodded, but he was clearly in another world, eyes locked on Magnus, lips parted in shock. Magnus fought hard to contain a laugh. He _did_ tend to have this affect on people.

"Earth to Alec," Maia waved a hand in front of his face, and Alec blinked a few times, as if he was trying to make the wheels in his head turn again.

"Magnus, right?" Alec asked, fumbling over his own words, shifting his weight on his feet nervously. "I'm Alec. It's..um- it's a pleasure to meet you,"

Maia snorted next to them, whispering something along the lines of _smooth_ under her breath, and Alec turned to glare at her.

Magnus lifted his wine glass to his lips, leaning back in his stool, a smirk on his face as Alec turned his attention back to him. "It's a _pleasure_ , indeed," he winked, taking a sip of wine, watching as Alec's pale cheeks flushed a lovely pink color. He wasn't sure what was suddenly making him so flirty. Earlier, in the lobby, he'd ignored the good-looking man who'd been flirting with him, telling himself that he wouldn't just fling himself at anyone willing to have him. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, or maybe it was just the fact that Alec was the most gorgeous man Magnus had ever laid eyes on.

Maia let out an exasperated groan. "Get a room," she gagged.

Magnus simply shrugged, nodding his head toward his room and raising a questioning eyebrow at Alec.

"No! It was an _expression_!" Maia quickly yelled before Alec could say anything, not that Magnus thought he would have said anything; his face was even redder than before and his eyes were wide, clearly taken off guard by Magnus' bluntness.

Suddenly, Maia's hands were on his shoulders, pulling him forcefully off of the stool and steering him toward his room. " _Someone_ had a little too much wine," she chided, pushing open Magnus' door and leading him inside.

"You can never have too much wine," Magnus argued, but the way that his head was spinning told him that maybe he _did_ have too much. 

Maia rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face that led Magnus to believe that she was not annoyed with him. "You need to go to bed. I'll wake you up in the morning before I leave for work." She said quietly, leaning against the doorframe, hand on the doorknob.

"I'd rather you not," Magnus pouted, laying down on top of the blankets rather than crawling under them. His body was hot for reasons he did not know. Maybe it was the wine, and maybe it was Mr-Sex-On-Legs who had the deep voice and adorable blush. Magnus couldn't say which.

"Goodnight, Magnus." Maia grinned, flipping the light switch off and closing the door shut behind her.

Now alone, Magnus forced himself to stand and take off his clothes, their tightness suffocating his heated body. He took the time to fold them neatly and set them in the closet, treating them with the respect they deserved.

Once he'd removed his makeup, Magnus finally pulled back the golden covers and slipped into bed, curling up with a yawn.

From outside the room, he heard muffled yells, unable to make out the exact words that were being said. Then, he heard laughter, both female and male, and he could hear Alec yelling, "Maia, get off of me!", followed by a loud thump, then silence, then a fit of giggles.

Magnus didn't know why, but he found himself smiling. Maybe New York wouldn't work out, maybe he'd have to move somewhere else in attempt to rid his mind of his past. But Magnus knew that, even if this plan failed, Alec Lightwood was going to make things interesting.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for leaving such positive responses on the first chapter! As of right now, I do not have an updating schedule, but I'll try to make one soon, and I'll try to stick to it.

  
When Magnus woke, he realized two things.

One, despite his splitting headache, he felt well-rested. He hadn't gotten a full night of sleep in longer than he could recall. Back in California, he couldn't remember ever waking up and _not_ wanting to pull the covers over his head and go right back to whatever dream he'd been having.

Two, there was a glass of water on the table by his chair and a sticky-note attached to the lamp. He rolled out of bed, shivering as he exited the warm covers and his bare body was met with a burst of cold air. If he wasn't awake already, he sure as hell was now.

Magnus threw on a pair of dark sweatpants before lounging in the love seat. From a closer proximity, he noticed the white aspirin that was left next to the water. He gratefully popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it with a mouthful of water.

As he continued to sip from the glass, Magnus picked up the neon pink sticky-note that was attached to the lampshade, eyes skimming over it.

_Magnus_ , it began. _I decided to be a good friend and not pour this glass of water on you to wake you up. You're welcome. I'll be at work until five at Java Jace's. Feel free to stop by. Alec can give you directions if you need them. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, don't be shy (even though I know you definitely aren't shy)._

_P.S. - You might be in for a tiny surprise if you stop by the coffee shop. Just saying._

_xx Your favorite person_

Magnus found himself grinning at the note as he got comfortable in the chair, sitting with his legs hanging over one arm, his back rested against the other. He reached backwards for his phone, which he'd plugged in and rested on the table to charge overnight.

Turning it on, Magnus almost gasped as he saw the time. It was close to eleven in the morning, much later than Magnus usually slept, unless he was sleeping off a long night of clubbing. He blinked a few times before typing in his passcode and pulling up Maia's contact.

_got ur note, thx for not drowning me in my sleep btw. i'm coming for my surprise later, see u then_ , Magnus typed, smirking as he sent it, knowing that incorrect grammar and spelling pissed Maia off.

Maia didn't reply, which Magnus was expecting. She couldn't just pull her phone out to text him at work. She must have been on a break, though, because his phone buzzed with a message just ten minutes after he'd sent his.

_Did a thirteen year-old girl take your phone and send me that message? Or are you trying to get me to kick you out._

Magnus made sure to put typos in his next reply, chuckling to himself as he sent it. He really loved pushing Maia's buttons.

_u wouldn't kick me out, u luv me._

Maia didn't reply after that. Magnus pouted - teasing Maia was fun - before swinging his legs off of the chair and standing up. He stretched his entire body, similarly to a cat, then made his way into the bathroom, deciding that he was in desperate need of a shower.

 

* * *

 

Magnus emerged from the bathroom nearly an hour later, feeling fresh and ready to finally start his day, even though it was already noon.

The shower had been perfect and much needed, soothing his muscles which still ached from being cramped in the middle seat of a plane for hours the day before. He'd wrapped his towel around his waist after using it to wipe the fog from the mirror, then dried and styled his hair. It took longer than usual to do his makeup as he'd opted for a more bold look; sharp, winged eyeliner, glittering gold eyelids, and a blinding highlight on his cheekbones.

Choosing an outfit turned out to be a bit of a challenge. Magnus couldn't fit all of his clothes into his suitcase - no matter how much he jumped on top of it, willing it to just _close, god dammit_ \- so his options were limited.

Maybe, once he started earning money, he would invite Maia's girlfriend to go shopping with him. He'd kill two birds with one stone; having the most stylish woman Magnus had ever seen pick out some outfits for him, and study her to make sure that she was worthy of Maia's affections. He did think that maybe it was a little too late into their relationship to give Isabelle the if-you-break-my-best-friend's-heart-i'll-break-you talk, but what could he say, he was protective.

Ten minutes later, his entire room was littered with his outfit rejects, but Magnus was finally satisfied with his shimmering purple top, fitted gold-specked black pants, his favorite cuff attached to his ear, and an array of necklaces of varying lengths pulling everything together.

Confident that he looked amazing, Magnus slid his phone into his pocket and headed out to the kitchen.

He grabbed an apple from the fridge before hopping onto a stool by the counter. Taking a bite, Magnus pulled out his phone, searching the internet for the best places to visit in New York City. He knew of basic places, like Central Park, but Magnus wanted to get the full tourist experience.

He was in the middle of reading an article about a botanical garden in Brooklyn when a loud groan made his head snap up.

Seeing Alec on the balcony was a surprise, Magnus having believed he was the only one in the apartment at the moment. He was standing in front of a canvas, a small table pulled up next to him, arranged paints and brushes covering its surface. His hands were in his hair, clearly frustrated. He wore baggy sweatpants and a black shirt, and Magnus _definitely_ wasn't staring at his prominent back muscles as he picked up his brush and reached upwards to resume painting. Definitely not.

Curiosity led Magnus to hop off of the stool and walk toward the balcony. He knocked lightly on the glass balcony doors before opening them, causing Alec to turn.

Magnus chuckled to himself as he took in Alec's appearance. _This boy always has paint on him, doesn't he?_ he thought, eyes landing on a dark blue streak that spanned across the taller man's forehead.

Alec looked as if he'd been caught off guard, quickly moving to stand in front of the canvas, blocking it from Magnus' eyes.

"What's up?" Alec greeted, setting his brush down on the table.

Magnus shrugged casually, taking a seat on the cushioned bench to the side of the balcony doors. "Nothing, really," he crossed one leg over the other, leaning back and biting his apple. "I was about to leave, actually."

"Oh?" Alec asked, grabbing a rag from the table and cleaning up his hands. "Where are you going?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Magnus stood and moved to the balcony ledge, resting his elbows on the brick barrier as he looked out over the city. To say that the view from the ninth-floor apartment was beautiful was an understatement. Words could not describe the absolute perfection of the clear blue sky, the towering buildings and the greenery of a nearby park, or the view of a river in the distance. "There's so much to see. I don't even know where to start."

Alec stayed quiet for a minute before Magnus finally heard his voice again. "I could, uh-...show you around? If you want?" Alec sounded nervous, and for some reason, it made Magnus feel warm inside. "I mean, Maia said you needed directions to my brother's coffee shop anyways...I could take you sightseeing and then take you to Java Jace's afterwards? You don't have to say yes, you look like a pretty independent guy-"

" _Alec_ ," Magnus interrupted as the painter rambled. Alec pressed his lips in a tight line to keep himself from talking. "That sounds lovely." He smiled when Alec visibly relaxed.

"Great," Alec sighed out, a lopsided grin spread across his face. "Give me fifteen minutes to get ready, then we can head out."

"I'll be waiting." Magnus winked, grinning to himself as he watched Alec disappear back inside the apartment.

Now that Alec was gone, Magnus moved to stand in front of the painting, examining it thoughtfully. The piece was breathtaking; a full moon surrounded by bright stars reflected on the ocean below. The dark silhouette of a boat could be seen in the distance. The painting was so realistic that Magnus felt he could step inside of it and end up on the cool sand.

In the bottom right corner, Alec had written his signature in white, looping letters. _Alexander Lightwood_ stood out against the dark painting.

Alec had a true talent. Magnus was beyond impressed.

"You ready?" Magnus heard, and turned to see Alec tugging on his leather jacket. He'd cleaned up, no longer wearing the paint-stained clothes and instead dressed in all black. As much as Magnus itched to add some color to Alec's attire, he had to admit that the taller man looked stunning.

"Yeah." Magnus finally nodded, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from Alec. "Let's go."

 

* * *

 

"First of all, I knew it," Magnus said. "And second of all, there's no way in _hell_ I'm getting on that thing."

Alec had left him standing in front of the apartment building, telling him that he'd be back in a few minutes before heading towards the apartment's car garage. Magnus had chatted with a woman while he waited, using his charm to acquire her phone number. He'd felt on top of the world until Alec pulled up on the street in front of him, sat atop a loud, black motorcycle, spare helmet tucked under his arm.

"Magnus, you'll be fine," Alec assured, holding out the silver helmet to Magnus, who stood stubbornly on the sidewalk next to the bike.

"Why can't we just walk?" Magnus pleaded.

"The good places are too far away to walk to," Alec explained, but Magnus simply crossed his arms, still not convinced this was a good idea.

Alec sighed. "It's not that long of a ride. We won't even be able to go fast, we'll be stopping every ten seconds for traffic. Plus, I've been riding since I was nineteen, I'm kind of an expert at this point."

Magnus chewed his lip in thought. Alec was right, it really wasn't that dangerous, but he couldn't help but be scared.

Biting hard on his lip, Magnus reached out slowly to take the helmet, as if touching it would burn him. Alec's grin was brighter than the sun that shone above them as Magnus fastened the helmet to his head.

_I'm going to get such horrible helmet-hair_ , Magnus thought with a mumbled curse as he swung his leg up and over the side of the bike, situating himself behind Alec.

He placed his hands firmly on Alec's waist, body tense with fear. "Alexander, I swear to god, if I die, I'm going to kill you," he raised his voice so that Alec could hear him over the loud engine of the motorcycle.

Alec simply chuckled. "Hold on!" He yelled, and that was the only warning Magnus got before they sped off onto the street.

Magnus let out a rather unmanly scream as Alec started driving, wrapping his arms around Alec's waist to tightly that he was worried he'd suffocate him, pressing his face into Alec's back and squeezing his eyes shut.

He could hear Alec laughing at him, and it took everything Magnus had in him to not bite Alec's shoulder, worried that it would cause them to swerve and crash.

As they drove on, Magnus slowly relaxed, loosening his death-grip on Alec. Alec had been right; they were constantly stopped for traffic, and they never reached speeds over twenty miles per hour. The ride was overall enjoyable, and getting to be pressed so close to an attractive man was just a bonus.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, as the time neared four-thirty, Magnus was sitting in the soft grass of Central Park, bathing in the afternoon sun. Alec was next to him, laying down with his arms behind his head, discarded leather jacket next to him.

Alec had taken him all over the city. They'd went to the botanical garden that Magnus had found on the internet first. He'd snapped a few photos of the lively flowers, but had put his phone away shortly after, deciding to just enjoy the moment.

A young girl had approached him shyly, tugging on her mother's hand. Magnus' heart melted as the little girl complimented his necklaces and held forward a black-eyed susan in her tiny brown hand, offering it to him with a toothy smile.

Magnus still had the flower tucked behind his ear, hours later, and his cheeks still ached from how much he'd smiled.

They'd went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art next, or as Alec called it, "The best place New York has to offer". Even someone like Magnus, who had little to no knowledge about art, found himself captivated by the museum. More than anything, though, he enjoyed watching as Alec animatedly explained specific art pieces, talking with his hands excitedly.

After spending almost two hours in the museum, they had decided to come to the park for a break.

Central Park seemed to be a common gathering area for people of all kinds. Children ran around happily while their mothers chatted under the shade of the trees, dogs chased down balls and frisbees that had been thrown by their owners, and tourists posed for pictures in front of the beautiful scenery.

Magnus was watching a group of teenagers play some odd game involving both a baseball and a volleyball when he spotted a hotdog stand out of the corner of his eye.

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now. After hours of walking around the garden and the museum, the apple he'd eaten that morning wasn't cutting it anymore.

"Hungry?" Alec asked, and Magnus tore his gaze away from the stand, turning to look at Alec. The man was now sitting up, leaning back on his forearms, a few tiny blades of grass stuck in his dark hair.

"Starving," Magnus replied dramatically, pushing himself off of the ground and offering a hand to Alec. "I've heard that NYC hotdogs can't be beat. Would you say that's true?"

Color rose in Alec's cheeks as he eyed Magnus' hand, but he took it anyways, grabbing his leather jacket before allowing himself to be pulled up. "I guess you're about to find out for yourself," he grinned, letting go of Magnus' hand and throwing his jacket over his shoulder.

They walked to the vendor from their spot in the grass, Magnus skillfully avoiding scattered patches of mud to keep from ruining his shoes. A middle-aged man stood behind the cart, and Magnus put a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous colorful hat the man was wearing, an oversized plastic hotdog sitting atop his head. When he looked to his right, he saw that Alec was keeping a straight face, but was clearly struggling, the corners of his lips twitching.

"What can I get you?" The man asked in a deep, monotone voice, face devoid of emotion.

Alec ordered first, giving Magnus time to look at the short menu that was taped to the cart. In no time at all, the vendor handed Alec his hotdog in a flimsy cardboard container, taking in return a few dollar bills.

"And you?" The man in the hotdog hat asked, turning his attention to Magnus.

Magnus tapped his thumb on his bottom lip, still unsure. "What do you recommend, Alexander?"

Alec licked his lips in thought - a gesture that shouldn't have made Magnus' breath catch in his throat the way that it did - before gesturing to his own hotdog, addressing the vendor. "One more of these, please."

Magnus fished two dollars out of his back pocket, handing it to the vendor when he was presented with his hotdog. "Thank you." Magnus said with a friendly smile, grabbing a napkin off of the cart.

When the man didn't answer him, Magnus simply shrugged it off. He'd officially met his first rude New Yorker, he guessed.

 

* * *

 

"Alexander, that was _heavenly_ ," Magnus exclaimed as he crumbled up his wrapper, tossing it into an approaching garbage can as they walked the winding trails of the park.

"Are you satisfied with your experience with your first New York hotdog?" Alec asked with a chuckle, tossing his trash into the bin right after Magnus.

" _Beyond_ ," Magnus moaned, ignoring the look that a passing runner gave him. "I don't even think that sex has ever left me as satisfied as that did."

Alec sputtered next to him, choking on air, and Magnus snickered.

Once he collected himself, Alec turned to look at Magnus, hands in his pockets as he walked. "Java Jace's is right around the corner, wanna head there?"

Magnus nodded, remembering Maia's promise of a surprise.

They walked side by side as Alec led the way to the coffee shop. The weather was beautiful, the air was warm but there was a nice breeze that kept it breathable. There were people everywhere, and Magnus found himself wondering just how many people populated the city.

"Earlier, you called Java Jace's your brother's shop," Magnus started. The silence before wasn't uncomfortable, but he had always been one to prefer conversation over silence. "How many siblings do you have, exactly?"

Magnus watched as a fond look spread across Alec's face, lips turning up and features softening. "Three. I'm the oldest, then there's Jace, the one who owns the coffee shop. He's our adoptive brother, but he's closer than blood, really. I'm sure Maia's told you plenty about Isabelle. I know you'd like her, you're practically the same person," he chuckled, kicking a small stone as he walked.

"I have yet to meet her, but she has excellent taste in fashion. Maybe you should let her take you shopping?" Magnus suggested with a playful smirk.

"Hey," Alec huffed, but there was no heat behind it, the smile lighting up his face. "Trust me, she's tried. There's no point in me buying nice clothes, I get paint on everything, in case you couldn't tell," he gestured to the side of his shirt, where a blue stain stood out against the black fabric.

"Some people pay ridiculous amounts of money for paint-stained clothes. Back in L.A., I once saw a pair of jeans covered in messy splatters of purple paint that were selling for two-hundred dollars," Magnus shivered just at the memory of the horrendous jeans. "I'm sure you have at least three pairs of pants that look exactly like them, and yours were probably a tenth of the price."

Alec shrugged. "Four pairs, actually," he corrected, and Magnus laughed.

"What about the last sibling?" He asked curiously.

Alec's bright expression seemed to fall, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he kicked his stone to the side. "Max," he managed to say, clearing his throat before he continued talking. "He, uh...he passed away, four years ago," Magnus' lips parted in shock as Alec continued. "Cancer, when he was ten. He made it longer than the doctor's predicted, the little fighter," Alec chuckled, but there was no humor behind it.

Magnus bit his lip, placing a hand on Alec's arm as they turned onto the sidewalk, surrounded by honking cars and sirens, the serenity from the park gone. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."

"There's no way you could've, it's fine," Alec gave a reassuring smile, even though it didn't meet his eyes, and shrugged Magnus' hand off of his bicep. "He's better now, that's all that matters," he stopped them at the crosswalk, pressing a button to activate the walking signal.

"Do you think Isabelle would show me around to the best stores in the city?" Magnus asked, trying to change the subject, guilt eating at his chest.

Alec began walking across the street when the signal gave them permission, Java Jace's coming into sight. "I'm sure she would. She'll love you, no doubt about it." Alec concentrated on weaving in and out of the large crowd of people, trying not to run into anyone. Magnus grabbed the sleeve of the leather jacket slung over Alec's shoulder to prevent them from getting separated.

Magnus didn't speak for the last minute of their walk, but that minute felt like an hour. Relief washed over him as they finally stood in front of Java Jace's.

Alec pulled the door open and stepped to the side, a shy grin on his face as he gestured Magnus inside.

"Such a gentleman," Magnus said, a teasing glint in his eyes as he stepped inside the coffee shop.

The shop was small and intimate, following a color scheme of browns and reds that made Magnus feel warm. The smell of coffee beans mixed with the sweet scent of freshly baked pastries in a symphony that made his mouth water. Customers occupied nearly all of the scattered tables and booths, coffee in hand, chatting happily with each other.

Magnus spotted Maia's curly dark hair emerging from the kitchen, holding a tray of pastries in her hands. She wore a tight black shirt with jeans under her white apron, name tag pinned above her breast, squatting down to distribute the pastries into a glass display case.

Being the great friend he was, Magnus made his way over to the display case and slammed a hand on the top of the glass, making Maia jump, the tray fumbling from its position tucked under her arm.

"Asshole," she mumbled, placing the last pastry on the display tray before closing the sliding glass door and standing up.

"Love you too," Magnus gave an exaggerated smile while Maia simply looked unamused.

"Did you come here with Alec?" Maia asked, setting her empty tray to the side.

Magnus hummed in confirmation, taking a stirring straw from the bundle sitting next to him and twirling it between his fingers absentmindedly. "I told him I was going exploring today, and he offered to show me around,"

Maia gave him a look, then looked across the shop at Alec, then back at him, raising a eyebrow pointedly.

"Not like that...just as friends," Magnus explained, unable to hide the hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Oh yeah?" Maia asked, taunting. "Where did you go?"

"We went to some botanical garden in Brooklyn first," Magnus said, pointing to the flower tucked behind his ear. "Then the Met, and we ended in Central Park,"

"Hmm," Maia said, tapping her finger against her chin exaggeratedly. "The funny thing is, that sounds _exactly_ like a date Izzy and I went on a few months ago-"

"Shut up," Magnus mumbled, tossing his straw into the bin that he spotted behind the counter, internally celebrating as he made it in. "Where's that surprise you used to lure me here, Roberts?"

Maia grinned, pointing above her head where the shop's drink menu was hung. "Would you like to order anything? Perhaps under the list to the far right?"

Magnus tilted his head in confusion before looking up, skimming the most right section on the menu: deserts.

He knew exactly what the surprise was the second he saw it.

"You didn't," Magnus' mouth hung open in shock.

"I did," Maia chuckled. "Used your mom's exact recipe and everything. It's one of our best sellers,"

Both joy and pain swelled in Magnus' chest, memories of his childhood in Virginia flooding into his mind like a tsunami.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to say," Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat, giving Maia a warm smile. "I'll take one slice of Annie's Apple Pie, please, plus two forks and one best friend whose shift ends in three minutes."

Maia smiled in return, checking the clock. "I'll have that right out for you, sir." She said playfully before going back into the kitchen, leaving Magnus with thoughts of life back in Virginia and Annie Bane.

 

* * *

 

Magnus cut off a piece of pie with his fork, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the feelings of nostalgia he was about to encounter.

They sat in the small employee booth by the counter, Maia already on her second bite of pie across from him. "You better hurry up, or I'm going to eat this entire slice by myself," she warned, taking a sip of water.

Magnus nodded, inhaling through his nose and closing his eyes before biting the pie off of his fork.

"How?" He gaped at the slice of pie, eyes wide. "How did you make this taste exactly like mom's?"

Maia chuckled at his reaction. "I asked her for the recipe when I was nineteen, before I moved here for school. Your mom was the sweetest, she spent an entire day showing me step-by-step how to make it, then gave me the recipe in words so I wouldn't forget," Maia explained, fondness audible in her voice as she recalled the memory.

Magnus smiled as Maia animatedly told him a story about her first time trying to make the pie on her own, trying to ignore the tugging at his heart. The word _was_ still stung, even though his mom had been gone for close to three years now.

"-and then Jace knocked the entire bowl of filling onto the kitchen floor. Alec hit him upside the head, and Clary ended up slipping on the filling because Jace was too busy fighting with Alec to clean it up," Magnus snapped back to reality, listening as Maia continued her story, completely missing the first part.

"Speaking of Clary, when am I going to get to meet everyone?" Magnus asked, shaking off the weird feeling in his chest and taking another bite of pie.

"I actually wanted to ask you about that," Maia exclaimed, as if she'd just remembered that she'd been planning on asking him her question. "Jace's boyfriend has a gig with his band tomorrow night, the one Alec was doing the banner for yesterday. I was wondering if you wanted to tag along? Everyone's gonna be there, it's the perfect opportunity for you to meet the rest of the gang,"

Magnus didn't hesitate before agreeing.

"Hey, Maia," Alec approached their booth, tugging on his leather jacket. "I'm gonna head back home. Do you need me to pick up anything on my way?"

Maia shook her head. "I'm going to help Jace clean up a bit before I go. I'll text you when I'm on my way."

"Great," Alec nodded, turning to look at Magnus. "I know you hate the bike, so you can walk back with Maia if you want. It's not that far, only about half a mile, at most,"

Magnus chewed on his lip shyly, looking down at the table as he replied. "Actually, can I go on the motorcycle?"

He hesitantly looked up at Alec, already knowing that the taller man was wearing a smirk. "I told you you'd like it," he said smugly.

"Shut up." Magnus slid out of the booth, punching Alec's arm full-force.

"Ow!" Alec gasped, rubbing the spot where Magnus' fist had collided with his bicep.

"Bye, Maia!" Magnus sang, waving his fingers before turning and walking out the door, adding a slightly exaggerated sway to his hips knowing that Alec was behind him.

 

* * *

 

The walk back to where Alec had parked his motorcycle was short. They almost got separated once, a rude woman pushing right in front of Magnus and cutting him off unapologetically. As they got back on the park trails, the congestion of people cleared.

Alec rubbed his aching arm as they walked. "How the hell are you so strong?" He wondered out loud.

"Yoga and sex," Magnus answered without a moment of hesitation.

Alec snorted. "Sex doesn't give you biceps like those," he pointed to Magnus' arms, where his muscles strained against his purple shirt.

"It does when you're holding your partner up while you-"

"Don't finish that sentence, please," Alec interrupted, face turning red, and Magnus laughed.

They neared the motorcycle minutes later, parked in a small lot next to a meter. Magnus unhooked the silver helmet from the side of the bike and placed it on his head, bouncing on his toes as he waited for Alec to get on.

"Someone's eager," Alec teased, strapping his own black helmet on before hopping onto the bike, sticking the key into the ignition and starting it up.

Magnus jumped onto the bike, situating himself close behind Alec. "I'll punch you again," he threatened, placing his hands on Alec's waist to keep himself from falling.

Alec suddenly sped off without warning, finding an opening in the sea of traffic, and Magnus felt his heart leap in his chest as he came close to falling, arms wrapping tightly around Alec's waist.

"That was not cool!" Magnus yelled over the sound of the engine as they came to a stop at a red light.

Alec laughed, craning his neck to look back at Magnus. "Sorry, I thought you were holding on," he teased, but his voice said that he clearly knew that Magnus wasn't holding on tight enough.

"Dick," Magnus mumbled as Alec turned back around, the light turning green. Magnus was prepared this time when the bike started to move again, hands firmly holding Alec's sides.

 

* * *

 

The next night, Magnus sat in a secluded booth in a colorful club, sipping a martini as he scanned the crowd. Loud music played from speakers as a band set their equipment up on stage, and the dance floor was already full of energetic people, even though it was only ten o'clock.

Maia had left him waiting at their table after receiving a text from her girlfriend. She'd gone outside to retrieve Isabelle, Jace, and Clary, not wanting them to get lost trying to look for their booth.

Alec hadn't arrived yet, and Magnus found himself feeling disappointed. He'd promised that he would come, but the gig started in less than ten minutes, and there was still no sign of the artist.

He'd just finished his drink as he caught sight of Maia, pulling on Isabelle's hand, a red-haired girl and Jace right behind them.

Magnus smiled at the group as they approached him. Isabelle confidently stood in front of him, tilting her head up to look him in the eyes, red lips curled into a smile.

"So, this is the famous Isabelle Lightwood," Magnus greeted with a grin, shaking her hand, admiring the ruby pendant that stood out against her skin. "I've heard a lot of good things about you,"

"It's nice to meet you," Isabelle hadn't yet let go of his hand, instead taking it into both of her own and bringing it closer to her face, examining his nails with a look of awe. "Where did you get these done?"

"I did them myself," Magnus replied amusedly.

Izzy suddenly turned to look at Maia, dropping Magnus' hand. "Sorry, our time was fun while it lasted, but I'm afraid I've fallen for someone else." She said seriously, but the playful smirk on her lips showed that she was joking.

Maia rolled her eyes, a fake pout on her lips. Isabelle giggled before leaning in and kissing her cheek.

The red-headed girl stepped forward next, bright green eyes shining under the colorful lights above them. "It's good to finally meet you, Magnus. I'm Clary." She introduced herself.

Magnus shook her small hand as well, giving her a friendly smile. He didn't get an opportunity to be properly introduced to Jace, but he saw the blond up on the stage, happily chatting with a boy in a Star Wars shirt. Magnus assumed that was Simon due to how close he and Jace were standing, Maia having told him that they'd been dating for almost two years.

Simon's band mate held up a hand to signal the five-minute countdown. Magnus saw an apologetic look on the boy's face as he turned back toward his boyfriend, but Jace simply leaned forward and kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand before hopping off of the stage and making his way over to the group's booth.

"Anyone need a drink?" Jace asked as he approached the table, clad in a leather jacket similar to the one Alec had wore the day before.

Everyone had filled into the booth; Maia and Izzy were squished together despite the fact that they all fit in the booth with room to spare, Clary had her nose buried in her phone, and Magnus watched the dance floor, eyes raking thoughtfully over a shirtless man wearing sinfully tight jeans.

_No_ , Magnus slapped himself internally, _you're trying to start a new life. No more one night stands in club bathrooms._

"Magnus?" Jace asked, and Magnus forced his eyes away from the dance floor. "Drink?"

"Another one of these," Magnus lifted his empty martini glass, thanking Jace as he turned and headed for the bar.

Checking the time on his phone, Magnus deflated when he saw that there was only one minute left until the show was scheduled to start. Izzy, Clary, and Jace were good company, but he found himself missing a certain tall, dark-haired painter.

Jace arrived back at the table moments later, skillfully carrying five drinks in his arms. He distributed the drinks and slid into the booth next to Izzy just as the show was starting.

Simon introduced his band first; his co-singer Maureen, who had a guitar strapped to her chest, a freckled man named Eric was on drums, and a young boy named Bat stood behind a keyboard.

As Simon voiced the name of the first song, both Jace and Clary whistled enthusiastically, seemingly in a competition to see who could be the loudest.

Just as the song was starting, Magnus caught sight of a man running through the crowd, a head taller than almost everyone else. A wide smile broke out onto his face as Alec, flushed and slightly out of breath, slid into the booth next to him.

"Hey," Alec huffed out, a lopsided grin on his face as he looked at Magnus, not yet addressing the other occupants of the booth.

Magnus raised an eyebrow, taking in Alec's appearance and giving him a questioning look.

"I couldn't find the keys to the bike," Alec admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I ran. Jace would have killed me if I didn't show up,"

"I'm glad you're here." Magnus grinned, ignoring the look that Maia was giving them.

He caught a glimpse of Alec's already-flushed cheeks turning a shade darker before the man turned away from him, instead focusing on the band that was in the middle of their first song.

Magnus watched as Simon and Maureen moved around the stage freely, having the time of their life as they sang. The crowd was captivated by their performance. Everyone from the dance floor had moved to stand in front of the stage, bouncing around happily to the upbeat song.

Biting his lip, Magnus leaned back in his seat, enjoying the rest of the song and trying not to imagine what it would feel like to be in Simon's shoes, up on that stage singing his heart out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!   
> I apologize if any parts felt rushed or dragged out. Since this is my first fanfic, I'm still not great with pacing. I hope to improve by the time this story comes to an end, though. 
> 
> If any of you have any tips on how to write the characters of Clary, Jace, and Simon, please feel free to let me know! Those are the characters I struggle the most with, so any constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> *Also, sidenote, I named Magnus' mom Annie because that was her name in my all time favorite story, Bright Lights, Small Town by @Lecrit 
> 
> my instagram: deflectrunes   
> my tumblr: the-downworld


	3. Chapter 3

  
Magnus sat in the middle of his bed, wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist, small beads of water dripping from his wet hair onto gold sheets, proudly holding his first paycheck in his hands.

He had found a white envelope waiting for him on his bedside table when he'd emerged from the bathroom, and had instantly gotten a feeling that he knew what it was.

Two weeks ago, the morning before Simon's gig, Magnus had scheduled a job interview at a trendy clothing store around the corner from the apartment. He'd caught sight of a _Now Hiring_ sign posted in the store's window while he'd been riding home from Java Jace's on the back of Alec's motorcycle, and he had known right away that he wanted to work there.

The interview had went off without a hitch; Magnus used his wit and extrovert personality to charm the manager of the store. He had even stayed in the woman's office after the interview had ended, accepting the coffee she'd offered and casually chatting for almost an hour. Before leaving, Magnus had asked her when he should expect a call saying whether he got the job or not, and Imogen had said there would be no need for a call. At first, he'd deflated, believing that he wasn't going to be hired. But Imogen had smiled and told him to be back at the store at ten sharp the next morning, wearing his best outfit and to be ready to begin training.

The pay had been slightly less than he'd expected, but Magnus wouldn't complain. It was a decent starting salary, and it gave him the money to pay his portion of September's rent and have enough left over to do what he'd been itching to do since he moved in; go shopping.

Pulling up Isabelle Lightwood's contact in his phone, Magnus shot her a text.

_You free?_ he sent, then typed another message. _Shopping?_

Isabelle read his texts just seconds after he'd send them, and her response came in soon after.

_Definitely. I'll be over in 20_.

Magnus felt his heart drop in his chest. Twenty minutes wasn't nearly enough time to get ready. Throwing his phone to the side - and groaning when it bounced off of the bed and hit the wall before falling to the floor with a thud - Magnus rushed into the bathroom.

It took almost ten minutes just to dry and style his hair, so Magnus only had time to line his eyes and apply his favorite peach-pink eyeshadow.

He rushed back out into his room, erratically sliding into a pair of underwear and shimmying into his jeans all while he searched for a top. He settled on a loose black shirt with a colorful geometric pattern that he'd bought from the store he worked at; he planned to take full advantage of the twenty-percent employee discount he was given. He only wore one necklace, but five different rings adorned his fingers, and his favorite cuff was attached to his ear last-minute.

Just as Magnus shoved his phone in his back pocket, he heard a knock on the front door. He quickly slipped into his shoes before he made his way out of his room, passing through the living room to open the door for Isabelle.

The Lightwood girl looked amazing as always. She wore ripped black skinny jeans, and her long hair cascaded in thick curls over her red leather jacket. Izzy was still significantly shorter than him, even in her four-inch heels, but she was still one of the fiercest and most intimidating woman Magnus had ever met.

Isabelle wore a smile on her ruby-painted lips. "Ready for the best shopping experience of your life?"

Magnus smirked, stepping outside the apartment and locking the door using his key. "You know I am, darling," he said playfully, pocketing his key and walking alongside Izzy down the hall.

 

* * *

 

Magnus gave himself a once-over in the mirror of the fitting room. He examined himself from the front, then from the side, then from the back, positioning his body in a few poses.

Shopping with Isabelle was the best decision Magnus had ever made. They had only been wandering around the city for an hour, only stopping in two stores, but Magnus already had three outfits and a new necklace. He was impressed with Izzy's skills to piece together an entire outfit in no time at all.

They stayed in the men's section for the most part, Magnus asking for the dark haired girl's help picking things out.

"Let me see!" Izzy called excitedly from outside the fitting room.

Magnus slid the lock and pushed open the door, revealing Izzy, who was lounging in a plush chair right outside his stall, phone raised to take a picture.

Isabelle gaped at him. "Okay, first of all, it's unfair how photogenic you are," she began, turning her phone around to show him the candid photo she'd taken. "Second, if I'd never met Maia, I would totally go for you," Magnus could tell that she meant to sound serious, but he knew that she was joking.

"It's not too late, darling," Magnus gave an exaggerated pose, showing off his outfit. "We could run away together. Forget Maia,"

Izzy rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm a loyal partner, and I'm kind of in love."

Magnus grinned, a warm feeling in his chest. Even though he'd only personally known Isabelle Lightwood for two weeks, it had felt like a lifetime. She was sweet, loyal, and could probably knock a three hundred pound wrestler on their ass if they hurt someone she loved. He admired everything about her, and couldn't have chosen anyone better for his best friend to fall in love with.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Isabelle's voice. "Go change," she ordered, pointing to his fitting room stall. "Now that we've got some things for you, I need your help picking out a dress."

"Yes, ma'am," Magnus grinned, turning around and locking himself back in the changing room. He neatly folded the clothes he intended to buy, then put on his own clothes. He checked his makeup and fixed his hair in the mirror before draping his finds over his arm and exiting the fitting room once more.

Isabelle led him to the women's section of the store, more specifically to the dress section. She filed through the racks of dresses with determination in her eyes.

Magnus stood at the rack across from her, sorting through dresses. "Is this for a special occasion?" He wondered out loud.

"Alec has an art show next week," Izzy explained, pulling a flowing blue dress off the rack and examining it. "Some of his pieces are being featured in some sort of prestigious gallery near the heart of the city. It's not the first time he's been a featured artist, but he has fifteen paintings on display, more than any other artist that's going to be featured,"

Magnus could hear the pride in Isabelle's voice as she talked about her older brother. After just over two weeks of living around the Lightwoods, he could see how close all of the siblings were. Perhaps the passing of their youngest brother had brought them this close, but Magnus tried not to think about that, instead admiring the siblings' close relationship.

"That's really great," Magnus said honestly. "You're brother has a true talent. He's the best artist that I know, and I'm not just saying that because he's easy on the eyes," Magnus joked, pulling a tight black dress off of the rack to take a closer look at it.

"I'm surprised Alec hasn't asked you to go to the show yet," Izzy draped the blue dress over her arm, then continued searching through the rack.

"Oh?" Was all that Magnus could get out, trying not to think about what Izzy had said, afraid he'd overthink things and make false assumptions, occupying himself with closely studying a black and gray dress.

"Yeah," Izzy moved to a different rack, this one behind Magnus. "He literally wouldn't stop talking about your little day of exploring the city the day after you moved in. He said he took you to the Met, and that he was nervous you wouldn't enjoy it as much as him, but he said you ended up loving it."

Magnus felt a grin involuntarily spread across his lips remembering that day. "It was lovely. New York City truly is a beautiful-" he stopped in his tracks, picking up a dress, his mouth hanging open in awe.

"Did you find something?" Isabelle asked, turning around, and Magnus could hear her gasp beside him.

The dress was made of silk, the bottom flowing, a slit cut in the side. The black fabric was lined with gold detailing, wrapping around the waist and swirling up in the back to form a beautiful, intricate design. It had a small cutout near the top, just large enough to be elegant rather than revealing.

"I think I'm gonna cry," Isabelle warned, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared at the dress Magnus held up.

"I won't judge," Magnus chuckled, holding the hanger out to Izzy.

She slowly reached out to hold it, as if the dress was as delicate as a newborn child. Once her perfectly-manicured fingers closed around the handle of the hanger, she inhaled sharply, a wide smile forming on her lips.

"Why does it feel like I'm in a shitty episode of _Say Yes to the Dress_?" Isabelle laughed, carefully wiping her finger under her eye to keep from smudging her makeup.

"I definitely wouldn't be opposed to you wearing this on your wedding day, although I can't speak for Maia," Magnus joked, gently tugging on Isabelle's arm and leading her to the fitting room.

Magnus waited outside as Isabelle changed, talking to her through the door as he leaned back in the plush chair outside the changing room.

"Can you zip me up?" Isabelle opened the door, the zipper only halfway up her back, turned with her back to Magnus.

"Of course," he agreed, pushing himself up out of the chair and approaching Izzy.

Magnus caught sight of black ink peeking out of the corner of the dress. It was a small tattoo, a symbol of some sort that he couldn't make out the meaning of.

"What's this?" Magnus lightly touched the pad of his finger to Isabelle's back where the tattoo resided. He pulled the zipper up the rest of the way as Isabelle began speaking.

"Oh," she said softly, taking a minute to continue. "We, um...Alec, Jace, and I got them together a few years back, after..." she trailed off, and Magnus gently placed a hand on her arm, a gesture of comfort and understanding. "It's called a rune, the one we all got is called an _iratze_. It symbolizes healing,"

Magnus grinned and followed as Isabelle walked back into the fitting room. He stood next to her as she looked in the mirror, a small smile on her face as she saw herself in the dress.

"Max always called me a princess," she whispered, so quiet that Magnus almost didn't hear her.

"You are one," Magnus said with a grin, and he was ready when Isabelle turned and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest.

He wrapped his arms securely around her small frame, resting his chin atop her head. Isabelle felt like the little sister that Magnus had never had, despite knowing her for such a short period of time.

Pressing a kiss to Isabelle's hair, Magnus closed his eyes.

 

* * *

 

During their shopping trip, Magnus learned that Isabelle took the phrase _'shop till you drop_ ' quite literally. By the time he shoved his key in the lock to the apartment and pushed the door open, he felt like he was going to pass out from exhaustion.

"Hey," a voice called, and Magnus looked up to see Alec standing in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water.

Dropping his bags unceremoniously to the floor by the front door, Magnus made his way to the kitchen, hopping up onto one of the stools and resting his elbows on the countertop. "Your sister is quite something," he chuckled, watching as Alec moved to stand in front of the counter where Magnus sat.

"She is," Alec agreed.

Magnus looked Alec over. He was wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants, both stained with wet paint. His hair was a mess, looking as if it had been abused by the wind outside.

"Are you working on a new piece?" He asked casually, stealing Alec's glass and taking a sip of his water. Alec didn't even react, which only showed how close they'd grown over the past two weeks.

"Yeah, a commission for some hotel owner. He wanted something unique to hang behind the front desk in the lobby, so customers would see it right as they walk in," Alec explained, and Magnus found himself grinning as he watched the painter talk with his hands.

"Can I see?" Magnus asked curiously.

"I mean, it's nowhere near done yet, but I guess I can't stop you," Alec chuckled and walked around the counter, gesturing for Magnus to follow him as he led the way to the balcony doors.

Magnus grabbed a blanket off of the back of the couch before stepping out onto the balcony, knowing that the night air was chilly. He wrapped it around his shoulders, shivering as he closed the glass doors shut behind him.

Alec sat on the cushioned couch, watching silently as Magnus stood in front of the painting.

It was definitely unfinished, but it was already breathtaking. It was a floral piece, different colored tulips half-painted, blowing in the wind. Magnus could see a few beads of water painted on the flowers, hinting that it had just rained.

There wasn't much to look at yet, but Magnus found himself excited to see the finished product.

"It's amazing," he said softly, shuffling over to sit next to Alec. The couch was rather small, just big enough for two people, so the sides of their thighs and their arms were pressed together.

Magnus almost jumped as he felt Alec's bare arm against his own. "You're freezing," he pointed out, watching as goosebumps raised on Alec's pale skin.

"I'm fine," Alec assured stubbornly, his breath visible in the air in front of him as he exhaled.

Without hesitation, Magnus unwrapped his blanket from around his body and draped it over the both of them, scooting a bit closer to Alec so both of their large frames fit under the soft red blanket.

"Thanks," Alec mumbled, a small smile on his lips as he tilted his head back, looking up at the star-filled sky.

The comfortable silence between them was filled with the sounds of the city below them, sirens and car horns and nightlife. Magnus originally thought that the constant noise of the city would be annoying, but he actually found it rather soothing.

"Hey," Alec said suddenly, voice soft, sounding a bit nervous. "Are you...are you free? Next Saturday night, I mean?"

Magnus bit his lip to keep his smile from growing too wide. Because of his talk with Isabelle earlier, he believed that he knew where this was going, but he decided to let it play out. "Are you asking me on a date, Alexander?" He teased, deciding to have a bit of fun.

"No!" Alec's voice came close to cracking, and the moonlight lit up his beautifully red face. "I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, fumbling over his words as he realized how offensive his reply must have sounded. "It's just, there's an art show next weekend, and I-...have some, uh, paintings, that are gonna be on display, and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along?"

Magnus' cheeks ached from how hard he was trying not to smile. He opened his mouth to reply, but Alec began to speak again.

"I understand if you're busy, it's just...um, I got a free ticket to take a plus-one, and Izzy is already taking Maia, Jace is going with Simon, and Clary's going with her mom and step-dad," Alec looked everywhere but Magnus' eyes as he rambled on. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, but there's free champagne and food and I just figured-"

Magnus finally decided to let Alec breathe, gently lifting a finger to his lips to silence him. Alec crossed his eyes to stare at Magnus' finger, his cheeks flaming.

"I'd love to go, Alexander," he said with a grin, watching as Alec's face lit up.

"Nice," he sighed in relief, leaning back again, and Magnus felt Alec's tense body relax.

They stayed outside for what felt like hours, just talking softly, enjoying each other's company. Magnus' eyelids felt heavy, and he found himself struggling to stay awake as he listened to Alec fondly tell a story about the first time Isabelle took him shopping.

Eventually, exhaustion got the best of him, and he finally let his eyes close. The last thing he remembered before sleep overtook him was the feeling of his head falling onto a strong shoulder, and a warm arm wrapping around him, tucking the soft blanket around his shivering body.

 

* * *

 

Magnus stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, skillfully lining his eyes as he sang along to the music blasting from his phone.

He had gone all out with his makeup. Everything from his expert contour to his perfect smokey-eye had taken nearly an hour to do, but he was proud of the end result. It probably wouldn't have taken as long if Magnus hadn't paused multiple times during the process, getting lost in the music playing from his phone and singing into his brush as if it were a microphone, but he didn't regret anything.

He had time to spare once he was finally ready, so he let himself go, dancing around the room in his sparkly maroon suit and singing his heart out.

Not even the knock on his bedroom door could grab Magnus' attention as he jumped up onto his bed, eyes closed as he sang along with Queen, completely carefree. It had been a long time since he'd let himself sing like this.

As the song finished, Magnus opened his eyes, cheeks heating up as he saw Alec leaning against the doorframe, wearing black jeans and a denim button-up, obviously trying to hold back a laugh.

"Don't judge," Magnus mumbled sheepishly as he hopped off of the bed, bare feet hitting the floor with a thud.

"I'm not," Alec held his hands up in front of him defensively. The twitching grin on his lips proved otherwise.

Magnus rolled his eyes, walking to his closet to grab his shoes.

"You're really good, you know," Alec commented, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm really good at a lot of things, darling. You're going to have to be more specific," Magnus bent over to slip his shoes on, then stood up straight to look at Alec, a playful smirk on his lips.

Now it was Alec's turn to roll his eyes, a gesture he did so often that Magnus was afraid his gorgeous hazel eyes would get stuck one day mid-roll.

"Your voice. It's really nice. Have you ever considered making a career out of it?"

Magnus almost laughed out loud, but held himself together. He'd moved to L.A. when he was eighteen, with nothing more than some cash he'd saved up and a backpack with his clothes and essential toiletries, young and stupid and believing that he could just walk into any studio he wanted and they'd hire him right away. That definitely wasn't how the industry worked, and Magnus had found that out the hard way.

"Not everyone ends up getting to turn their passion into a career. Especially in the music industry," he said softly before clearing his throat, wanting to change the topic. "You're not wearing that, are you?"

"This?" Alec tilted his head, running a hand over his denim shirt to smooth it out. "What's wrong with this?"

Magnus clicked his tongue, shaking his head and pushing past Alec, walking into his room across the hall. "This is an art show, Alexander. You're being _featured_. That outfit does wonders for your body, but it's not the kind of thing you wear to events like this,"

Alec had followed him into the room, sitting on his grey bedsheets while Magnus rummaged through his closet. "I wore this last time," he argued, but did nothing to stop Magnus as he pulled a suit out of the back of Alec's closet.

"Well, I wasn't here last time," Magnus seemed satisfied with his find, tossing the suit to Alec on the bed. "Put this on,"

Alec let out a defeated sigh, and he didn't put up a fight. He stood up and undid the buttons of his shirt, sliding it off of his shoulders and tossing it carelessly to the side.

Magnus tried not to stare, but failed miserably. How could he _not_ stare? Dark hair covered Alec's chest, contrasting beautifully with his pale skin. His abs looked as if they were carved by the gods themselves, and Magnus followed them down to a trail of dark hair that disappeared under the waistband of Alec's dark jeans.

"Could you turn around?" Alec asked, and when Magnus looked back up at the man's face, he was visibly flustered, clearly having caught Magnus staring.

"If I must," Magnus let out an exaggerated groan as he turned his back to Alec. "But I liked what I saw," he commented shamelessly, and he heart Alec sputter behind him.

After a few minutes, Alec gave him the okay to turn back around. When Magnus turned, he felt breathless.

The suit looked even better on Alec than he'd imagined. It was rather simple, just a navy blue suit with a white undershirt, but Magnus' throat felt dry.

"Why aren't you wearing the tie?" He asked once he was able to form a coherent sentence, gesturing to the tie that had been thrown onto the bed.

"I don't need a tie," Alec insisted, but Magnus gave him a pointed look, and he let out a sigh. "I don't know how to put it on," he admitted.

Magnus couldn't help but laugh as he stepped forward, taking the tie off of the bed and wrapping it around Alec's neck. He tied it effortlessly, having done it countless times before.

It wasn't until he finished that he realized how close they were standing. Only a few inches separated them. Taking a risk, Magnus raised his eyes, letting out a soft exhale as he saw that Alec's eyes were already on him, cheeks dusted with pink.

"Much better," Magnus cleared his throat, taking a step back to put some distance between them.

"Thanks," Alec swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing nervously. "We should get going," he grabbed the keys to the motorcycle off of his bedside table, quickly moving past Magnus to exit the room.

Magnus chewed the inside of his cheek, wondering what the hell just happened, before turning and following Alec out.

 

* * *

 

Nearly a hundred people filled the gallery, sipping champagne and admiring the artwork that hung on the walls and pillars around the room. Magnus hadn't spoken to Alec since they got to the gallery, but the painter was busy with other things, chatting with other artists and greeting people as they walked in.

Magnus was surrounded by a few familiar faces, standing with one hand in his pocket, the other holding his half-empty champagne flute.

Maia and Izzy were standing next to him, chatting happily with each other. The dress that he'd picked out for Isabelle looked absolutely stunning paired with black heels, her dark hair twisted up elegantly, a few loose curls hanging out of the up-do to frame her face. Maia, who was wearing a beautiful tight yellow dress, couldn't seem to take her eyes off of her girlfriend, practically drooling. Magnus made a mental note to tease her for it later.

Standing across from him was Jace, who was currently seeing how many cream puffs he could fit into his mouth. Simon stood next to him, looking rather embarrassed as his boyfriend stuffed another desert into his mouth, receiving chiding looks from the strangers that surrounded them.

Magnus laughed as Jace was finally forced to swallow, but he seemed happy with his results, pumping his fist in victory.

"Fourteen!" The blond called out, a wide smile on his face, cream from the desert smeared on the corner of his lips.

Simon groaned, grabbing a napkin off of the desert table and using it to wipe the corner of Jace's mouth. "You're an idiot,"

"I'm _your_ idiot," Jace smirked, leaning forward to capture Simon's lips in his own.

Maia gagged, causing the men to break apart. "Save the PDA, it's gross,"

Simon narrowed his eyes, pointing to Maia and Izzy's clasped hands.

"At least we're not sucking each other's faces in public!" Izzy argued.

"I beg to differ," Jace scoffed, eyebrows raised. "Don't think we didn't see you two making out in the parking lot before we came in."

Isabelle gasped, and Maia's cheeks flushed, quickly turning around and grabbing a miniature cupcake off of the desert table to conceal her blush.

Watching the two couples interact, Magnus couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy in his heart.

Love had been ruined for him by a snake of a woman. Camille Belcourt had stolen his heart and proceeded to break it, then smashed the broken pieces into even tinier bits.

Camille hadn't always been heartless, but that was where Magnus allowed himself to be blinded by his love. Sometimes, the sweetest people turned out to be the most evil. The sweetest people caused the most painful heartbreaks.

Trying to shake all thoughts of Camille from his head, Magnus downed the rest of his champagne in one gulp, stopping a passing waiter who carried a tray of flutes and replacing his empty glass for another full one.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Magnus spotted Alec. He was one of the tallest - and most attractive - people in the room; it would be hard to miss him.

Alec was chatting with an older looking woman. She was much smaller than him, gray hair cut short and curled. She looked oddly familiar, but Magnus couldn't see her face, as her back was to him.

Alec was facing him, however, and his face lit up as his eyes locked on Magnus. He waved him over, a lopsided smile on his lips.

Magnus turned to excuse himself from the group, but both couples were in their own little worlds, standing close as they talked to each other. Ignoring the jolt of pain in his heart, Magnus took a sip of champagne as he made his way over to Alec.

"Magnus," Alec grinned, hands behind his back. "This is-"

"Ruth!" Magnus exclaimed happily, pulling the old woman into a hug. Ruth laughed as she dropped her purse to hug him back.

"You two know each other?" Alec asked, and Magnus pulled away from the embrace, a wide smile covering his face.

"We met at the airport when I first got here," Magnus explained as Ruth beamed next to him.

"He was wonderful company. Easy on the eyes, too," Ruth winked, and Magnus scrunched up his nose as he grinned.

"You have a husband," Magnus reminded her with a chuckle, and she just shrugged. Alec laughed beside them as he watched them interact.

"I think you two have some catching up to do," Alec said with a smile, trying to dismiss himself as a tall middle-aged man waved him over for a conversation.

"It was lovely meeting you. Your artwork is quite special, Alexander. You should be proud," Ruth placed a gentle hand on Alec's arm.

"Thank you," Alec grinned. "And it's Alec, by the way," he corrected, not unkindly. "Nobody calls me Alexander,"

Magnus raised an eyebrow, giving Alec a pointed look. "I do," he said matter-of-factly. "And you've never told me I couldn't,"

Alec suddenly became flustered, folding his hands in front of him, fidgeting with his fingers. "Well...you're-...um, you're different," he fumbled, color creeping up his neck into his cheeks. "I'm gonna..." Alec trailed off, pointing to the man who had waved him over before quickly walking away.

Magnus watched as Alec disappeared, lips parted as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

_You're different._

He felt his own cheeks getting warm, the gallery suddenly feeling like a sauna despite the blasting air conditioning.

"You've been in New York for three weeks and you've _already_ won the affections of that boy?" Ruth picked her purse up off the floor, giving Magnus a playful smirk.

"No, no," Magnus shook his head quickly. "We're just friends."

"I never said you were together," Ruth put her hand on her hip, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Just that you'd won his affections. And by the looks of it, he's won yours as well,"

Magnus chewed his bottom lip, looking over his shoulder. Alec was leaning against a wall, head thrown back in laughter along with the rest of their friends, seemingly at a joke that Simon had made. Alec ruffled his brother's hair, and Jace slapped his arm, looking offended as he tried to fix his blond locks.

"He has," Magnus said softly, admitting his feelings to himself more than to Ruth.

His heart was beating a thousand miles per minute, hammering so hard against his chest that it hurt. Whether it was caused by fear or love or _both_ , Magnus couldn't say.

Ruth took a step closer to him, placing her small hand against the maroon fabric of his suit jacket. Magnus lowered his eyes to look into hers.

"We're just friends," Magnus repeated. "We'll never be nothing more. We can't be,"

Ruth tilted her head to the side. "Why not?" She asked, confusion in her high-pitched voice.

"Let's just say that I'm not good at relationships," Magnus admitted, biting the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood. "I do one-night stands and weekend flings, not love."

Ruth gave him a sad look. She slid her hand up to cup the side of his face, looking the most serious Magnus had ever seen her.

"You deserve to be loved, pumpkin. Just let yourself _feel_."

Magnus forced a reassuring grin, trying to convince Ruth that he would listen to her. But he just _couldn't_. He didn't want his stupid feelings to ruin the relationship he already had with Alec. He didn't know if he'd be able to survive yet another heartbreak.

 

* * *

 

Magnus had noticed a dark-haired man in a tight suit eyeing him from across the gallery almost the entire night. At first, he had brushed the man off, instead choosing to spend the remaining hours of the night with his friends.

But now, after one too many flutes of expensive-tasting champagne, the man's unspoken offer seemed much more appealing.

Shooting a quick text to Alec to let the man know that he wouldn't need a ride home, Magnus pocketed his phone and made his way across the gallery, turning on his charm as he approached his mystery admirer.

The man instantly invaded Magnus' personal space, standing only an inch taller than him. Stubble covered his jaw, and Magnus found his tipsy mind imagining what that stubble would feel like between his thighs.

"Do you want to get out of here or what?" Magnus purred, fingertips pressed against the man's chest, and the man nodded, holding out his arm.

Magnus held the man's arm without hesitation, allowing himself to be led outside.

The night air was chilly, but Magnus' entire body felt warm as his admirer led him into an alleyway, pinning him against the brick wall and attacking his mouth.

Sure, the man wasn't the best kisser, but Magnus couldn't find it in himself to care. He messily undid the buttons on the man's undershirt as they kissed, eventually just ripping it open. He blindly ran his hands along the bumpy planes of the man's abs.

Magnus felt two large hands firmly grip his ass as the man began to work on his neck, sloppily sucking at his smooth caramel skin. He let his head fall back against the wall, eyes closed in bliss.

One of the man's legs slotted between his own, and Magnus let out a breathy moan, fingers coming up to tangle in the man's curly dark locks.

"Wanna come back to my place?" The man whispered into his ear, voice sinfully deep, and Magnus nodded eagerly, capturing the man's lips in one more kiss.

The rest of the night went by in a blur. Once they'd gotten back to the man's apartment, their intentions were obvious, and they went straight for the bedroom.

Magnus was exhausted after the first round, covered from the waist down by unfamiliar white sheets, staring at the ceiling.

He closed his eyes, still out of breath as he let his mind wander to someone he probably shouldn't be thinking about while lying in bed, completely naked, next to a man whose name he did not even know.

Alec had never texted him back, but the art show had surely ended by now. He wondered if Alec had found someone to go home with. It sure would make Magnus feel less guilty about what he'd just done.

Why did he feel guilty? Sex was supposed to be refreshing, orgasms were supposed to leave you feeling on top of the world. So why did he feel _guilty_? He never felt guilty after sex.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of a warm hand sneaking under the covers, wrapping around his half-hard member, lips gently sucking under his ear.

"You up for another round?" The man whispered into his ear. "I mean, you _feel_ like you are," he chuckled, giving Magnus' cock a few teasingly slow pumps.

Letting out a soft moan into the man's silent bedroom, Magnus pushed his thoughts aside and crawled back on top of the man, grinding down as he connected their lips in a searing kiss.

 

* * *

 

When Magnus slid his key into the apartment door the next morning, he felt like shit.

He had thrown on his suit from last night, wrinkled from laying on his one-night stand's floor all night. His makeup was smudged under his eyes, and without even looking in a mirror, Magnus knew that his hair was a disaster.

His head pounded as he suffered the consequences of drinking so much fancy champagne and then having sex with a stranger - three times.

As he opened the door, Magnus was met with the sight of Alec standing in the living room, hair standing up in all directions, wearing a black tank top and boxers. His tongue poked out of the corner of his lips in concentration as he held his brush firmly between his large fingers, painting what looked to be the tulip piece for the hotel.

Maybe he could sneak past Alec without being noticed. He slowly crept around the living room, being cautious not to make a sound as he walked across the wooden floorboards.

"Walk of shame?" Alec asked without looking away from his work, and Magnus cringed, slowly turning around.

"It's not a walk of shame if you're shameless," Magnus said with a chuckle, standing behind the couch, peeking over Alec's shoulder to get a glimpse of the painting.

"Was it at least good?" Alec wondered, and Magnus had a feeling that he didn't mean to say that out loud due to the way the painter's body froze.

"Between you and me? Still not as satisfying as that hotdog," Magnus said seriously, and when Alec turned around, their eyes locking, they both broke out into a fit of giggles.

As Magnus stood in the living room, laughing so hard with Alec that his stomach hurt, he knew that his choice to ignore his feelings for the painter was a good one. He didn't want to do anything to ruin what they had. He could deal with the ache in his heart if it meant getting to keep Alec in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!   
> I rewrote the beginning a few times and I just couldn't seem to get it right. It's admittedly not my best, but I hope you still liked it!   
> If you have anything you'd like me to write (prompts, oneshots, even an idea for a multi-chapter fic) either leave a comment here or hmu on my social media! 
> 
> Instagram: deflectrunes   
> Tumblr: the-downworld

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! This is my first fanfic ever, so constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated! Let me know if you want more, because this first chapter was basically just me testing out the waters. 
> 
> I may post little snippets of upcoming chapters on social media, so follow me if you're interested! 
> 
> My Instagram: deflectrunes  
> My Tumblr: the-downworld


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